Travel Archive

ON THE GO / SACRAMENTO – a wonderful destination for a celebration, some great restaurants and outstanding sightseeing

By Larry Levine – It was a perfect celebration for a food lover – four days in Sacramento commemorating two significant events and eating at four memorable restaurants. The original purpose of the trip was to celebrate Jennifer’s birthday with our son Lloyd, his wife Edie and their daughter Alise. We arrived in town a [...]
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FUSION WITHOUT CONFUSION / from youthful necessity to Hawaiian sophistication

By Larry Sheingold - I was a fusion food pioneer. Didn’t intend to be. But surviving the 1960’s on dollars a day meant recipes-of-necessity. And that often called for blending culinary cultures. So blend I did. Spaghetti topped with canned chili. Tortillas and peanut butter. Or my staple: “idiot’s delight,” an inspired sauté of cabbage, [...]
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37 QUINTESSENTIAL RESTAURANTS FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

By Larry Levine - What is the quintessential restaurant in San Francisco? How about Los Angeles? Sacramento? San Diego? New York? Chicago? Boston? We put those questions to the co-hosts of our sister web site – www.atLarrys.com, where we do restaurant recommendations – and quickly learned the answers get more complicated the more you think [...]
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IT STARTED WITH TAPAS / how small plates swept the nation

By Larry Levine – It started with tapas. About 10 or 11 years ago the Spanish appetizers hit the shores of the U.S. in a big way and quickly spread across the nation. First it was a spate of tapas restaurants. They did so well that other restaurants felt pressure to include tapas sections on [...]
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FROM ACROSS THE POND / a travel journal

(Jennifer and I spent two weeks in the south of England and then in Paris in the fall of 2011. This journal, posted on a daily basis, followed our travels, with a definite emphasis on the culinary.) By Larry Levine - November 4-5, 2011 The real hero of this trip is Jennifer Levine, my wife. She did this whole [...]
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BUT I STILL LOVE TO EAT – The journey back from the operating table to the dinner table / Chapter 9 / CRUISE SHIPS – where diets go to die

By Larry Levine – (BUT I STILL LOVE TO EAT is a memoir in progress being published in draft form in this magazine.) I was doing fine, feeling smug about my ability to stick to a responsible diet – low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium. Then until Jennifer and I set sail on a 16-day [...]
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A DELICIOUS DESTINATION FOR A MAGICAL TRYST (or just a great get-away) – Try the Chateau du Sureau and Erna’s Elderberry House

By Larry Levine – Ever think of this one: the difference between tryst and trust is just one letter? Neither did I, not until Jennifer and I spent a few days at Chateau du Sureau and dined three consecutive nights at Erna’s Elderberry House in Oakhurst CA. The Chateau and restaurant combine to inspire such [...]
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A DAY IN CALIFORNIA’S AMADOR COUNTY WINE COUNTRY – A guide to a wonderful wine and dine experience

By Larry Levine – It was one of those moments – a brief exchange with content far beyond the few words spoken. We were at Girl and the Goat in Chicago, perched on stools at the bar and chatting with the couple seated next to us. When they learned we were heading for Stratford and [...]
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A FOOD LOVERS’ JOURNEY – Eating like a local in Toronto

By Larry Levine – (The 6th and final article in a series – A Food Lovers’ Journey) It’s better than a traveler’s guide book, better than a restaurant rating books, better than one of those web sites that allow everyone and anyone to post opinions about where to eat and where not to eat. It’s [...]
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A FOOD LOVER’S JOURNEY / NUTTY FOOD RULES – Can’t do a rare burger, but steak tartare is fine

Larry Levine — (Number 5 in a series – A Food Lover’s Journey) Today’s topic is nutty food laws. The inspiration: two weeks in the province of Ontario Canada. It began when our friend Dan ordered a hamburger cooked to medium rare for lunch one day in a restaurant at Niagara-on-the-Lake. “It will have to be [...]
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